Crash Pad Imperial Hazy IPA - Real Ale Brewing Review
Fall and winter holler from the rooftops for strong beers. Stouts, porters, browns, and strong ales fit the cloudy, wintry feel like a hand knit sweater and a recently oiled beard. But sometimes we struggle to let go of the bright and hoppy flavors of spring and summer. And when that need for hops hits in fall, we reach for an Imperial IPA full of hoppy aroma and flavor and a strong malt backbone to keep us warm and fat.
Crash Pad Imperial Hazy IPA from Real Ale out of Blanco, Texas, fits that bill perfectly for us. It’s strong at 9.3% ABV, but also sensitive at 35 IBUs. We expect a lot from Real Ale considering their long history on top of Texas Craft beer, and it’s no different with this Imperial Hazy.
Crash Pad is a newer beer in Real Ale’s year round line-up, and they promise “pillows upon pillows of hops,” so let’s get after it.
First Impressions:
On the Eyes--Straw to golden in color. Topped with a persistent and tight cream-colored head. Hazy and filled with a galaxy of unfiltered goodness.
On the Nose--Floral and sweet, with a big hop aroma. Certainly smells of Citra and (maybe?) Mosaic or Strata. With a nice aroma it’s still quite light and inviting on the nose.
On the Palate--Wowee! Very soft and quite light. Crash Pad is not only pillows upon pillows of hops but has a silky mouthfeel as well. Strong floral and fruit flavors, and also a hint of bubblegum (Possibly from Strata hops) if I’m not mistaken. Crash Pad is very complex with a noticeably high ABV, but it remains gentle—deceptively gentle—with a lot of aggressiveness in the hops to balance the heavy malt. The malt is pretty straightforward and I wonder about the addition of dextrose to increase the overall gravity and add a little sweetness. It coats the mouth and offers a dry finish without a lingering bitterness.
Suggested Pairings: With an Imperial/Double IPA always search for strong flavors in salty treats, beef, or vegetables, or get adventurous and try it with some of your favorite desserts, especially something spiced like a carrot cake or our spent grain pumpkin cookies.
Final Thoughts:
What really stands out in this beer is the overall softness and mouthfeel, and also the balance that makes it easy to drink for such a strong beer. The ABV is high (9.3%) and noticeable while drinking but the floral and fruity hops mixed with the sweet malt make it very palatable. Crash Pad’s complexity makes it fun to search for flavors through the strong floral and malt backbone, and I really enjoy how it finishes dry and slightly bitter but doesn’t linger.
There are two types of Imperial/Double IPAs: Ones with a lot of aggressive hopping, each addition outdoing the previous; and ones with gentleness and balance that go down easily and warm the cheeks quickly. We love both here at the Brew Adventures, but Crash Pad fits comfortably into the gentle and easy-drinking category. And, if you live in Texas anyway, it’s pretty darn affordable for a strong and heavy beer.
Cheers!
Mr. Brew